The Corporate-Backed Democratic Party Needs a Political Revolution

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Are you a K Street suit wanting to get down and dirty in Philly? The DNC offers six party plans, one of which is sure to fit your budget. For “a minimum of $750,000” in bundled contributions, you can enjoy the Lobbyist Convention Package.

In July, win or lose, Bernie Sanders will be bringing his political revolution to Philadelphia. It promises to be quite the party. On the floor of the Democratic National Convention, the delegates will choose a nominee. They will debate the platform that defines what the Democratic Party stands for. And they will set the rules that govern how the party operates going forward—or at least, until the Democratic National Committee (DNC) deems it expedient to change those rules.

At the 2008 convention in Denver, under Barack Obama’s leadership, Democrats banned their party and its fundraising outfits from taking money from PACs and lobbyists. That prohibition was overturned in July, when the DNC announced that pay-to-play is a-okay. The message to lobbyists and their PACs: Come on in.

That’s no surprise. Today’s DNC is under the sway of Hillary Clinton and under the thumb of Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, two politicians who, when it comes to PACs and lobbyists, have never been able to say no.

Are you a K Street suit wanting to get down and dirty in Philly? The DNC offers six party plans, one of which is sure to fit your budget. For “a minimum of $750,000” in bundled contributions, you can enjoy the Lobbyist Convention Package. This features 10 fabulous perks, including “four tickets to an exclusive VIP party,” a bedroom “in a premier hotel within the National Finance Committee block [sic],” and “participation in business roundtables and industry panels throughout the Convention.” (This last benefit is a party favor included in all six plans.)

Without a ticket to “celebrations featuring celebrities and other luminaries” (another of the 10 perks), what are lowly Sanders and Clinton delegates to do? Participate in floor fights over the party rules and platform.

High on some Sanders supporters’ list of Democratic Party rule reforms is to find a way to keep super PACs out of the Democratic primaries. Were such a rule in place, Priorities USA Action, the Clinton super PAC that has harvested more than $55 million—including more than $20 million from people associated with finance, insurance and real estate industries— would have refrained from using that money to attack Bernie Sanders.

As for the Democratic Party platform, you can bet that Sanders delegates—along with the support of some Clinton supporters—will try to make breaking up too-big-to-fail banks an official Democratic policy.

If the Sanders folks got creative, they could propose a plank requiring all network and cable television outlets that hold a broadcast license to provide free air time to all candidates of any party that meets a threshold of public support.

Similarly, the delegates could demand that all Democratic candidates who run under the party banner support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution that would deny corporations the rights of flesh-and-blood people.

That’s the nice thing about a political revolution: It encourages people to think outside the box.

So, in July, as corporate lobbyists feast on the creations of “Philadelphia’s most recognized chefs” and revel in their “nightly access” to “VIP lounges” at the Wells Fargo Convention Center (two more of the 10 perks), Sanders delegates and their Clinton allies may want to get together over a beer and figure out how to crash the party.

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AAAAAND Liberal America throws up its hands in the comments ONE MORE TIME...

Posted by Jeff Blanks on 2016-04-27 02:09:16

It doesn't cost that much to be involved in the actual party--something like $60 a year. I have no idea why more people don't do it--do they really not understand this? You don't have to be "invited" and YOU CAN'T BE TURNED AWAY. *No*, you *don't* "sign a pledge and get a certificate". Membership is OPEN. That's the WHOLE POINT--ultimately, at least at the local level, they WANT people to be involved.

Posted by Jeff Blanks on 2016-04-27 02:08:44

Because bothering IS THE POINT. Just think--the other side NEVER asks "Why bother?"

Posted by Jeff Blanks on 2016-04-27 02:05:40

I plan to write in Bernie's name on my ballot in November. I can no longer vote for the least worst. Hillary is a poor candidate because she has too much negative baggage and because she doesn't plan to represent the people.

Posted by jabber1 on 2016-04-26 08:21:02

So basically you agree that our two political parties are nothing more than corporations. You have to "belong" to join in the fun. What are democratic bona-fides? Do you sign a pledge and get a certificate? Are you a "listed" member? What does it cost to be a democrat? I thought calling yourself a democrat or a republican or a green was all that was needed. You expose the farce that these two parties have become and how they and not the individual citizens are in control. Thank you for this service.

Posted by jabber1 on 2016-04-26 08:18:53

You bet your sweet ass Bernie is a democrat, an FDR democrat. Hillary is a Rockefeller Republican. The current party is just GOP lite. To paraphrase Truman, when the people are offered a choice between a republican and a democrat acting like a republican they will opt for the real deal every time.

Posted by angryspittle on 2016-04-25 18:56:35

Bernie's revolution is dead in the water until we can abandon the propagate/democratic party, shitcan the voting machines and go to paper balloting counted by hand and return the party to its roots.

Posted by angryspittle on 2016-04-25 18:53:39

In 2008, I remember the Democratic Party being pushed by Progressive Democrats of America in Pittsburgh to include single payer. PDA made a big deal about it like it was some huge victory. Big deal. The Democratic Party ignored it. You never heard another word about it from the party, except when it was said it is impossible. The platform doesn't mean crap. In fact, that is what it can be used for. Just like Hillary Clinton's false turn in support of more progressive positions. Means nothing. She will do the work she is put in there for--to keep the corporate elite happy and uphold the status quo, while throwing some scraps to those pushing social issues. The neoliberal, neocon economic empire continues unabated, and will do so until a new, truly democratic party built and run by working people is formed, and its candidates held accountable to the platform put forth by it.

Posted by Sillyputta on 2016-04-23 10:19:59

In this article. Joel assumes that Bernie is a democrat - are you really sure? He is an opportunist and has yet to prove his democratic bona-fides. Only reason he is running for democratic nomination is because it is convenient to do so, as he know well that mounting a 3rd party challenge is next to impossible. So I suggest one of the new rules (for both parties) should be that to run for a national office under the party platform, you have to be a registered member of the party for at least 5 years. Bernie has NOT earned any right to dictate or demand changes in democratic party rules unless and until he proves that he is a democrat and is here to stay and will run the next election to the senate (if he still wants to run) under democratic party banner, not as an independent. Obligation is on him to prove that he will be a loyal member of the democratic party, not other way around (loyal does not of course mean that he cannot question what's going on in the party).

Posted by ProudDemocrat on 2016-04-22 18:54:44

The party is no longer interested in the "WE - the - PEOPLE". Too much consideration to MONEY. They sold their endorsement to Hilary Wall Street - the BANKS - the PARTY and not to be left out the PRESS the New York Times...Too big to fail - FORECLOSURES - - zombie housing....Wall Street ? Being fed ( buying bonds) by the F E D... all the news that's fit to print censoring news from Isreal / and elsewhere.... Do you have permission to print that???

Posted by William Bednarz on 2016-04-21 06:32:04

Why bother? They can just lie about the platform, and change the party rules again after the election.

Posted by Graham Clark on 2016-04-20 13:18:07

The joint fundraising that Hillary is doing with the state parties is mostly being used to launder money that ultimately benefits Hillary's campaign and so it should be outlawed for all party candidates for President as well.

And since climate change will be a catastrophe for all of us if we do not leave fossil fuels in the ground, there ought to be a platform plank that says the Federal Government should no longer lease any land for any further extraction of coal, oil, and natural gas and that also supports a ban on fracking.

Hillary is a very smart person and so I am sure she is aware of the dire predictions that science is making about how it is really past time for both of those things to have already happened. So far Hillary the cautious politician has not listened to the scientists. I only hope that enough of the Hillary delegates will break with her on both of those issues and force such planks into the platform.